Large picture window not flashed properly (or at all?)

Hi everybody,

I had the two windows in my condo replaced a little while back. Since then, every time there is a hard driving rain, I get water leaking into the inside under the one side of the window (I can see this clearly because there is no sheetrock on the wall right now).

Two times so far, the installer has been back and re-caulked around the window. It has not cured the problem.

I did a little research about window installation, and I don't believe the window has been flashed properly (or at all).

Is it correct that if a window has been flashed properly, even if water was to leak under the siding or trim, that it should still drain to the outside of the wall?

I watched them when they installed it, and they did not put any of the adhesive flashing material around the window opening. The window is just sitting on the bare wood beam, and they put a long brown aluminum trim piece to cover the wood, and then caulked it.

I also do not like how the caulk seam along the whole bottom of the window is such that if that caulk should ever come loose or crack anywhere, water is going to leak directly into my home. I feel they should have maybe put an extra bend in the aluminum so the seam opening would not be right where the rain hits and collects.

I dumped several large cups of water in the corner there and have confirmed that that is where the water is coming in.

When I installed the French doors onto my deck, the instructions (from Marvin) were very explicit about the installation of flashing around the door. There were several pages of instructions, right down to the type of flashing to use, how much, how to apply etc. There were two layers of flashing required, and that over building paper. The door has not leaked in three years, so it seems like it was successful.

I am not nearly as familiar with windows. I have inspected a number of houses over the years for water infiltration damage, and most of the time it could be traced to improper or no flashing, so my guess is that flashing is required for most, perhaps all window installations. The only cure for no flashing is to remove the window and reinstall.

I agree that flashing is ideal. That being said, there are AAMA approved installations that do not require siding and/or trim removal.

While I would prefer to pull siding on nearly every install and put in a full nailing flange equip window, drip cap, flashing, etc....it is not an option for all client and especially when you price it out.

There are ways to install windows in a block/retrofit application.

Sliders are tricky and require weep holes to drain the main frame. That weeper looks like it is blocked and dumping the water directly into the wall.

The capping appears to be sloped towards the home and the weep hole is largely obstructed.

Caulking is not going to fix the issue. The capping needs to be removed and redone as well as possible removing and resetting the window.

I would also like to see how the window head is tied back to the siding.

Hi, thanks for your reply.

I am going to contact the installer one last time before I file a complaint about him through Angie's List (I hired him based on his positive reviews).

If you were in my shoes, what would you require him to do to make this right? You would insist that he remove and reset the window, and also redo the capping to make sure it slopes away from the wall? Flashing material may not be necessary, but should I insist on it since they failed to fix the problem the previous two times they came back?

+1. They should have used a sill extender or put an extra bend on the sill capping for positive drainage and to allow caulking from the trim to the window frame without blocking the weep hole. The way it is done currently, there is no way to accomplish that. As WoW alluded to, the moisture that drains from those weep holes --in addition potentially to other exterior water-- will flow into the opening where there is no caulk.